Metal front for automobile and truck bodies



Qcfi. 235 1923. H

E. B. BOURLIER METAL FRONT FOR AUTOMOBILE: AND TRUCK BODIES Filed March 14 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Om. 23, E923.

E. B. BOURLQER AND TRUCK BODIES METAL FRONT FOR AUTOMOBILE Filed March 14 1.923 2 Sheets-finest 2 'ing t e Patented Oct. 23, 1923.

EMILE BRIDGEFOBD BOURLIER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

METAL FRONT FOR AUTOMOBILE AND TRUCK BODIES.

Application filed March 14, 1923. Serial No. 625,082.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILE B. BOURLIER, a citizen of the United- States, and a resident of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Fronts for Automobile and Truck Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to automobile and truck bodies, and more particularly to bodiesor cabs of a well known type of automobile, utilizin a wooden front at the present time which 1s subject to certain decided disadvantages including warping and distortion with consequent noises or rattling, and my object in the provision of a metal front, is to provide one so constructed that it will remain a solid unit without danger of distortion and capable of eliminating all danger of rattling and other noises.

A further object is the provision of a metal front formed in such manner as to promote economy, strength and durability.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my present invention and form a part of this specification,

Fi re 1 is a perspective view illustratpractical application of my invention,

Figure 2 is a front elevation showing my invention removed,

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken therethrough substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section, on an enlarged sca e, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring now to these figures and particularl to Figure 1 I have shown my improved liody front applied to a well known type of automobile, with its lower apron c osing the rear of the hood 11 of the vehicle, and with its up er edge immediately beneath the forwa edge of the roof 12 of the body or cab as it may be.

My im roved body front as most plainly seen in igures 2 to 5 inclusive consists, in addition to the lower apron 10, the latter of which is a flat plate havingan upstanding rearwardly ofiset flange 13 along its upper edge, of side uprights 14 of similar cqnstruction, each consisting of a relatively deep narrow channel member 15 bent from a single strip of sheet metal and provided with inwardly reverting flanges 16 along the free edges of its sides, it being noted that this channel member 15 is in each side upright turned to open inwardly toward the other upright and receives a comparatively shallow channel member 17 disposed therein and opening in the same direction, the side portions ofthe second channel member of each upright being partially enclosed by the inwardly reverting flanges 16 which overlap the same. This provides for. simple easy connection of the flanges and the sides of the two channel members one within the other, as by means of rivets, spotwelding and thelike'so that each side upright will be braced along a line intermediate its side edges and its inner flanged edges effectively reinforced.

It will be noted from Figure 4 which plainly shows the construction of the side uprights'just above described,-that the side edges of the apron 10 are extended into the inner channel members 17 of the side up rights and securely fastened along the for ward flanges'16 as by means of spotwelding or rivets and the like extendin the side edges of the apron and through the adjacent flanges 16 and the adjacent portions of the sides of the inner channel 17 so that the upper offset portion of the apron may extend between the inner por-' gage the outer surfaces of the cross strips 18. i

This cross rail 19 is also bent along a central line to form a downwardly projectin longitudinal rib 21 extending between t e cross strips 18 and ging the inner surfaces of the latter so that the are thus eifectively lbracelcll and connecte throughout. their through etween the side rails 14 above the upper I edge of the apron 10 and below the cross strips 18 there is thus formed an enlarged rectangular space for the reception of a sash 22, which latter may be of any suitable construction and may in practice be detachably held within the'space just described in any suitable manner with its lower edge'resting upon the upper offset of the apron 10 which is adapted to receive the same.

It is obvious from the foregoing that my improved front for automobiles and truck tops and cabs, will be economical in first;

Cost and, by Virtue of its metallic construction and the formation and connection of the several metal parts constituting the same, it will be practically without cost in so far as upkeep 1s concernedpan'd will be strong, durable and effective for the intended purposes.

ll claim:

A metal front for automobile and truck tops including side uprights rigidly connected at their upper ends, an apron extending between and connecting the lower portions of said uprights and forming with the latter and their upper connection a sash receiving space, said side uprights being of channel form and opening inwardly toward one another and said apron having an offset portion along its upper edge extending across the channels of the uprights and also forming a rest for a sash disposed within said space.

EMILE BRltDGEFOR-D BOURLIER. 

